Venture capitalist Vlad Snezhinsky excels at two things: making money and being a dad. Still struggling to get over a disastrous marriage, he has zero interest in starting a new relationship. That is, until he meets Klara Lazarev.

Klara’s done living in her older sister’s shadow. Determined to forge her own path, she completes a prestigious fellowship program before returning to college. Now scrambling to fulfill her graduation requirements, Klara has no time for distractions like Vlad and his daughter. Especially after an unfortunate first encounter leaves Klara doubting Vlad’s integrity.

But when a shocking murder throws their world into chaos, can they trust each other enough to uncover the truth and embrace the possibility of love?

Vlad Snezhinsky paused mid-sentence as the newest member of the Talbot household let out a wail.

“Sorry,” Ethan said. “Maya’s teething. Go on.”

Vlad watched as the man draped a fresh burp cloth over his shoulder, adjusted his hold on his six-month-old daughter, and patted the baby’s back.

In the year since Vlad joined the Talbot Fund, he’d been to Ethan Talbot’s home office twice. For a venture capitalist, Ethan did a remarkable job keeping his business life from encroaching on family time. Today’s meeting proved the rare exception. Not that Vlad blamed him. The allure of first-mover advantage was hard to resist.

“The market’s at least $500 million,” Vlad said, picking up where he left off. “They want six million, in exchange for sixty percent of the company—”

A peremptory knock cut him off. The door swung open, and a dark-haired woman popped her head inside. “Sorry, Ethan. Anna needs you. The Pack ’n Play won’t fold, and she’s wigging out.”

Vlad set aside his laptop and rose from the visitors’ chair.

The woman glanced his way. A flicker of something—recognition? awareness?—crossed her face, but before he could interpret it, her expression smoothed into polite disinterest. She turned back to Ethan. “If you want, I can watch Maya while you go fix things.”

Ethan got up and rounded the desk, transferring his daughter into the woman’s care. “She may need a diaper change.”

The baby cooed and kicked her legs. The woman laughed—a smooth, husky sound that trickled like warmed oil down Vlad’s spine.

He forced himself to remain still, knees locked, fingers digging into his palms.

Ethan, apparently unaffected, removed the burp cloth from his shoulder and offered Vlad an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Our first big trip with Maya. You know how it is.”

Vlad nodded.

“Anyway,” Ethan said, “let’s do the due diligence, and if everything pans out, we’ll set up a preliminary meeting. I’m available by phone if you need me.”

The door closed. Silence descended.

Vlad waited to see what the woman would do next.

“Pee-yew.” She wrinkled her nose and headed for a brightly decorated corner equipped with an array of baby paraphernalia. “Your daddy’s right, kiddo. You do smell like you need a diaper change.”

She placed Maya atop the padded changing table and rummaged through the top drawer with one hand, while keeping the other on the squirming infant.

“Looks like we’re in business, kid.” She cleaned, re-diapered, and dressed Maya in a fresh outfit. “Now what?”

Vlad cleared his throat, and the woman jumped, as if she’d forgotten he was still in the room.

“There are toys,” he said. “In the cupboard to your right.”

At least that’s where they’d been the last time he was here, shortly after Maya was born.

“Yeah, I know,” she said. Her eyes—green, with flecks of brown and gold—widened at Vlad’s approach. Her lips parted, and he nearly groaned.

Maya chose that moment to grab a handful of the woman’s hair and pull.

“Oww.” She winced and turned her attention to disentangling her curls from the baby’s fist. “Let’s see about those toys, shall we?”

In the few minutes it took to settle Maya on a brightly colored floor mat with an assortment of plush musical toys and rattles, Vlad studied the woman’s profile. She was tall—maybe half a head shorter than him—and dressed for comfort in an oversized T-shirt and faded jeans. When she leaned down and reached across the mat to grab a toy, Vlad got a glimpse of what her loose clothing concealed: a narrow waist, generous hips, and a rounded bottom that made his mouth water and his fingers itch.

Hoping to disguise his body’s reaction, Vlad hunkered down at the edge of the mat. “Okay, let’s try this again,” he said, stretching out his hand. “My name is Vlad. And you are…?”

“Klara. Anna’s sister.” She withdrew her fingers as quickly as possible, but not before he felt the slight tremor.

Nerves? Attraction? She averted her eyes, focusing on the baby. The pulse at the base of her neck fluttered.

He swallowed a smile. “So, Klara. Why haven’t we met before?”

That got her attention. And not in a good way. Her brows drew together and she narrowed her eyes. “We have. A couple years ago, at your brother’s wedding.”

“Oh.” He blinked away the unpleasant memories that threatened to swamp him. It was unfortunate that he’d forever associate his brother’s wedding with the beginning of the end. That’s when Vlad and Oksana started on a long downward spiral, culminating in an acrimonious divorce that was still dragging on today.

He studied Klara more closely. Something stirred at the back of his mind.

A brief impression of thick black curls swept up in an elegant twist, the body poured into some barely-there excuse for a dress, the lips smiling at him. And then—

Oh, God.

The red lipstick smeared, the eyes dripping mascara-tinged tears, his cheek stinging from the impression of her hand.

And then—nothing…until he woke up the next morning, head pounding like an entire battalion of jackhammers doing demolition work.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟New Jill Blake's book

By OB_reviews

Wow. Just wow. I love Jill Blake's stuff, and this book is her best yet! It's more than a simple romance. There's layers of mystery, including a murder that happened prior to the start of the book and doesn't get fully resolved until the end, as well as the main murder which happens about half-way through the book and occurs at a pivotal point in Klara and Vlad's relationship. (No spoilers here, Blake mentions this in the blurb, but to find out the who, what, and why, you'll just have to read the book.)

I loved how Blake interweaves the lives of her previous characters from the series into the plot of this one. Klara's sister plays a supporting role here, and both the tension and love between the two are nicely played out. If you haven't read any of the previous books, don't worry, this book can totally stand on its own. But it's like potato chips. You can't eat just one. Same with Jill Blake's books. Can't read just one. I can't wait to see what the next book will be about...

🌟🌟🌟🌟Engaging Read!

By LJT

Jill Blake's A Matter of Trust is an fine read; replete with engaging characters, an affecting plot, and a lustful love story. Although I am not a fan of the suspense genre, Ms. Blake's interpretation is exciting and smoothly executed.

Klara Lazarev is a smart woman on the cusp of figuring out what she wants to do with her life after she completes her senior thesis. Graduate school or starting a company to market the children's educational software she developed, are only two of the opportunities up for grabs. Meeting venture capitalist Vlad Snezhinsky for a second time, causes her to rethink her options. Vlad is a good-looking man with a young daughter. He and Klara have an amazing chemistry and their attraction is very hot. Vlad's soon to be ex-wife, in addition to his link to his father's death, create some obstacles that they have to overcome in order to form a family together.

This is the final book from Ms. Blake's Silicon Beach Trilogy and it can be enjoyed as a standalone. However, in order to truly experience this well conceived series, I recommend reading all the books in order. Some of the characters crossover, which adds a nice familiarity and background to the storyline. Overall, this book and the series should definitely be added to your TBR list.

Beyond the Ivory Tower (Book 1) ~ Anna & Ethan

~ 2016 IAN Book of the Year Award Finalist ~

If there’s one thing math professor Anna Lazarev believes in, it’s the value of higher education. So when her younger sister announces she’s dropping out of college, Anna places the blame squarely on the man who inspired her sister’s rebellion.Venture capitalist Ethan Talbot claims the US academic system is broken. His solution? Pay top students to “opt out” and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams without wasting time and money on a university degree.In a battle for the hearts and minds of a new generation, Anna will do whatever it takes to prove Ethan wrong. But when his demands take a more personal turn, will she sacrifice her principles to come out on top?

Becca Markham spent the last six years trying to please everyone else. Now it's her turn. She ditches her cheating boyfriend, quits her high-stress job as a software engineer, and decides to transform her life-long love of baking from a part-time hobby into a full-time business. Leo Kogan spent years scrambling to escape a life of poverty—first in Russia, then in the U.S. Now a successful surgeon, he needs just one thing to complete his American dream: the perfect woman. But making the leap from casual friends to lovers proves harder than he expects. Despite a sizzling attraction, Becca and Leo don't see eye to eye—especially when it comes to love and money. She's looking for sex without strings; he wants a partner for life. She stakes her future on a risky new business; he's obsessed with financial security. Can love bring two headstrong people together...or will their differences end up tearing them apart?

A native of Philadelphia, Jill now lives in southern California with her husband and three children. During the day, she works as a physician in a busy medical practice. At night, she pens steamy romances.